"My dad sold me to a pack of werewolves to settle his gambling debt."
❀
"I'm going to count to three," Logan growls. He doesn't have to say the rest. If I haven't come to him by then, he'll come to me... and I'll regret it.
I know this game, and I...
Special thanks to all my advanced readers who helped me edit this chapter and come up with questions!
I've announced the STAWP art contest winners! To celebrate the first place winner, theirs is the official STAWP book cover this week!
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Saffron
"Wait," I cry, trying desperately to think of something to say—anything to stop the giant from shooting Amaryllis's mom.
He hesitates. His eyes widen, and his gaze turns to me. "What do I do?" he cries, sweat dripping down his forehead. "You killed Robbie! How could you kill Robbie?"
"He's not dead, I swear." I look down at Robbie just in case, but his chest continues to rise and fall. "He probably just fainted."
"Fainted? Yeah, that's right. He fainted! That's what happened." The giant's voice fills with relief and he starts to nod. With each jerk of his head, more sweat slides down his face, and he's forced to blink it away.
I relax, just a little, and send up a quick prayer to the Moon Goddess. Please, I beg. Please let him wipe away the sweat. Just for a second. Just long enough to lower the gun. A second is all my wolf and I need. We're both ready to shift, we just need an opportunity... and maybe some divine intervention.
I can almost feel the Moon Goddess listening, and the giant starts to blink faster against the dripping sweat. I hold my breath, but his grip on the gun doesn't waver. Then, a second later, there's a clang, and Jess starts to cough to mast the sound of her trying a new key on the cell door.
"I'm going to shoot," the giant shouts, his eyes on me but the gun trained on Amaryllis's Mom. His hands are shaking so much that I pray he'll drop his weapon. He doesn't.
"Please don't shoot her," I beg. Jess starts to cough again, and the clanging resumes. The giant looks even more agitated, but it gives me an idea. "Look, what if we both went into one of the cells? You can lock us in until Robbie wakes up or Kyle gets back. Then you won't have to shoot anyone."
If he locks us in a cell, Jess can wait until his back is turned, break out of her cell, and knock him unconscious. We might even be able to convince him to go look for Kyle, and then we can all break free.
I look at the giant hopefully, and he hesitates, considering it. It seems to take him forever, and sweat continues to drip down his face. He has to blink against it repeatedly, and he even ends up licking some of it away, but doesn't lower the gun.
"Please," Amaryllis's mom begs.
Mom? Amaryllis lets out a surprised whimper. She races across her cell, still in wolf form, and sticks out her nose out of her cell.
